This invention relates to a cleaning device of the type identified in the prior-art portion of claim 1.
A cleaning device of the type initially referred to is known from PCT/EP98/00417.
It is an object of the present invention to improve a cleaning device of the type initially referred to.
According to the invention this object is accomplished by a cleaning device of the type initially referred to with the features of claim 1.
The cleaning device of the present invention has several advantages. One essential advantage of the invention is that, upon termination of a cleaning cycle, the cleaning liquid with contaminants therein in the cleaning bath is directed, as the result of the walls of the cleaning bath being suitably inclined, to the draining conduit for returning to the cleaning liquid container. The provided inclination of all the walls, particularly the bottom wall of the cleaning bath, in the direction of the draining conduit guarantees that the entire cleaning liquid with contaminants therein disengages from the walls of the cleaning bath and flows off into the cleaning liquid container.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention all the walls of the cleaning bath have an angle of inclination to a horizontal plane that guarantees that the downward drive force of the cleaning liquid, with or without contaminants, to the draining conduit exceeds the force of adhesion between the cleaning liquid and the walls. A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that all the walls of the cleaning bath have an angle of inclination to a horizontal plane that guarantees that the downward drive force of the cleaning liquid to the draining conduit exceeds the surface tension of the cleaning liquid. Each of these provisions of the invention ensures that no cleaning liquid remains in the cleaning bath to evaporate. Consequently, a higher number of cleaning cycles can be performed with the cleaning liquid present in a cleaning liquid container. Completely draining the cleaning liquid out of the cleaning bath prevents the user of the cleaning device from being disturbed by the evaporation of alcohol components that are to be found in the cleaning liquid. The provided inclination of the cleaning bath causes an increase in the speed at which the cleaning liquid flows out of the cleaning bath to the extent that the cleaning liquid and the contaminants are unable to segregate. The result is a clean cleaning bath after the cleaning cycle has ended and the cleaning liquid with contaminants has drained off.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the cleaning bath is arranged at an angle of inclination xcex1 and xcex2 to the horizontal plane in the housing. An essential advantage of this arrangement, which facilitates the manufacture of a cleaning device, is that the object to be cleaned is also accordingly set at an incline when the cleaning bath is set at an incline, thus promoting the draining of cleaning liquid from and out of said object, e.g., from the shaving head of a shaving apparatus that is to be cleaned.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, cleaning liquid is guaranteed to flow out of the cleaning bath by aligning the bottom of the cleaning bath in the direction of the draining conduit at an angle of inclination xcex1 to the horizontal plane.
This arrangement can be provided for an already inclined cleaning bath in order to increase the flow velocity of the cleaning liquid to the draining conduit, and guarantees particularly with a non-inclined cleaning bath that the cleaning liquid flows to the draining conduit.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention provision is made for the junction between a side wall and a bottom wall of the cleaning bath to be constructed in arcuate shape in order to promote the flow velocity of draining cleaning liquid and to prevent contaminant deposits from the liquid.
On account of the numerous influencing variables needing to be taken into account, e.g., the surface tension and/or adhesive force and the composition of the cleaning liquid such as its content of, in particular, alcohol, lubricant, water and tensides, the magnitude of the angle of inclination of a cleaning bath set at an incline to a horizontal plane or of a bath bottom aligned at an angle to a horizontal plane, e.g., a non-inclined cleaning bath, has to be determined and specified for the respective embodiment by means of practical tests. Hence according to one embodiment of the invention the angle of inclination xcex1 and xcex2 is variable by varying the surface tension of the cleaning liquid. According to a further embodiment the angle of inclination xcex1 and xcex2 is variable by varying the adhesive force of the cleaning liquid. According to yet another embodiment of the invention an angle of inclination ensuring a sufficient flow velocity is variable by providing for the surface tension of the cleaning liquid to be variable chemically. Flow velocity and angle of inclination are also variable by providing for the adhesive force of the cleaning liquid to be variable chemically. In one embodiment of the invention provision is made to reduce the surface tension and/or adhesive force of the cleaning liquid by adding tensides to the cleaning liquid. In yet another embodiment of the invention provision is made to reduce the surface tension and/or adhesive force of the cleaning liquid by adding lubricants. Further advantages and details of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.